World's Biggest Problems - The Assessment of an Aspring Impact Sociologist

This might appear to be too much of a coincidence if you read my original bug list but, scout's honor, I had no idea that the next task would be to identify the world's biggest problems.  So I am compelled to build off of what I wrote last week but this time, I plan to start with the problems that I believe are more causes than symptoms and work my way down to those that are more symptoms than causes.

Before we get to it, please note that this list is not inclusive by any means and a ranking of problems in this way is my take and is very much open to debate and open to interpretation.  In the end, as an aspiring impact sociologist, I just hope that my sociological perspective helps you reflect on our collective problems until you are ready to make a concerted effort to take action in whatever meaningful way you deem appropriate.

The World's Biggest Problems

1. The Gradual Unleashing of the Capitalist Ethic

Slowly but surely the laissez-a-faire capitalist ethic of profit maximization and free market has been prevailing.  This has led to a world where inequality, poverty, environmental pollution, sweat shops, and other symptoms of a capitalist system, especially where largely devoid of regulation, is causing great distress in the world.  The remaining list will highlight some of these symptoms but candid reflection and logical analysis will point to the gradual unleashing of capitalism over the past few hundred years as the cause.  This does not mean that we have not overcome some or even a lot of problems that the laissez-a-faire capitalist ethic has wrought but it appears to me that we continue to bandage the wound that just pops up again at different times and places with varying symptoms.  The solution is not easy nor do I proclaim to have a magical answer but it revolves around reforming the capitalist ethic so that profit maximization must be balanced with social good and free market must be regulated to protect consumers at all costs.

2. The Globalization of Individualistic Culture

In order for capitalism to realize its full laissez-a-faire potential, the concept of laissez-a-faire must be made to extend beyond just governmental regulation becoming part and parcel of an individual's self-conception.  Hence, Western culture (American culture) - globalizing across the globe since the advent of imperialism - has been built on the concept of individualism which posits that everyone should mind their own business so that every man or woman is able to pursue his or her concept of freedom and happiness.

In order for this to happen, people's historical affinity with religion; their connection with a supreme being (an individual's conception of a deity) had to be broken because religion holds some universal values as absolute (helping to reign in capitalism) and ultimately demands adherents to be accountable to a higher authority.  Individualism, on the other hand, preaches that everyone pursuing his or her self interests will somehow be accountable to each other eventually leading to a collective balance and harmony in society.

Human actions throughout history and during present times continue to demonstrate that when we are accountable to each other, the powerful will oppress the less fortunate.  Exceptions may exist as with anything but the general rule is what I am referring to.  In an individualistic culture that is not accountable to a higher authority, values will always be subjective and shifting because morality and ethics will be self-defined and inherently self-promoting.  How will we ever be able to achieve peace, prosperity, and equitable treatment for all standing on such an evolving and shaky foundation?  Religious people, as a rule, have also fallen prey to this trap because they fail to internalize beliefs into a way of life that is truly accountable to their recognized deity.  The way towards a solution is take the best of an individualistic culture and meld it with a collectivist culture and for people to seek accountability from a higher authority of their choosing.  

These laissez-a-faire conceptions of capitalism and individualism are, in my humble opinion, the root causes of the problems we see in the world today.  The rest of the problems in this list are more symptoms or sub-causes within the umbrella of capitalism and individualism.

3. Human Automatons

The classic black and white film Metropolis and the modern Matrix trilogy depict a world where people are essentially automatons going about their business, cogs in the greater capitalist society, unable to see the reality that they are being manipulated and oppressed by others.  Today, we are engrossed in such a system that manufactures us to be parts of the machine and distracts us with worldly possessions (materialism) and entertainment (i.e. music, movies, games, sports) so that we do not have the time nor the will to reflect on our  predicament and work towards improving our individual and collective relationships.  Such a stressful life may just be toxic for us.

Social science demonstrates through experiments such as the classic Milgram Experiment and the Stanford Prison Experiment to what extent human beings will go to oppress each other when urged by authority or by even by adopting to the roles inherent in a given situation.  The Holocaust, the Mail Lai Massacre and the Abu Ghraib torture experiences bring these chilling realities home because these were not social science experiments but real life incidents of human automatons' capacity for oppression.  See solution to number 2.

4. Inequality:  The Wealth and Poverty Divide

Laissez-a-faire Capitalism fuels inequality by funneling wealth to a very small minority.  This is not something that can be altered.  It is the essential nature of capitalism.  Regulation and other measures are just band-aids.  The result in America is over 45 million people living with poverty and according to the World Bank, over 2 billion people living off of less than $3.10 a day or less than $12,000 per year.  In contrast, unless current trends reverse, the wealth of the world's richest 1% will surpass that of the rest of the 99% during this year (2016).  See solution number 1.

5. The War Machine

For capitalism, war is just another revenue stream.  By war, I mean state versus state conflicts, civil wars, terrorist acts, gang war, drug war, or basically anything that requires a group of people in armed physical conflict against another.  Whether small or large, every conflict needs weapons of varying types that someone is manufacturing and profiting from.  See solution to number 1.

6. Prejudice, Discrimination and Racism

Living lives focused on ourselves, competing with everyone else, and without being accountable to a higher authority in the truest sense, are we surprised that prejudice resides in our hearts, seeps into our discriminatory actions, and permeates as institutional racism into our society.  The examples are everywhere plain as daylight.  Only those blind to reality itself will not perceive them.  See solution to number 2.

7. Toxic Stress

When it comes to disease, we can point to many that are major problems in the world such as cancer, aids, drug addiction, malaria, among others but diseases that affect our children directly impact our future as human beings.  In this vein, recent medical attention is being brought to the ailment of toxic stress that mostly afflicts people on the wrong side of inequality and those habitually struggling with poverty.  The more I learned about toxic stress the more I realized that if we don't take action against the root causes of our problems, we are not only harming ourselves, others but tragically even our future generations.

To see what I mean, watch the Harvard University video on toxic stress below and start by reviewing the American Academy of Pediatrics approach to toxic stress and this article on American Psychological Association's website.  See solution to number 1.

8. The Destruction of the Environment

Capitalism and its thirst for profits and markets, at any cost, is destroying our environment.  Just today, news came out that 2015 was the hottest year in recorded history and the previous record was held by 2014.  In America, routinely companies expose minority and poor communities to environmental pollution because they have a better chance of getting away with it.  See solution to number 1.

9. Technology:  A Friend and an Enemy

Technology is great.  Medical science has extended our life spans and improved our daily living conditions, sanitation has enhanced living conditions, transportation has made it possible for us to traverse great distances but we have also built weapons of mass destruction and our e waste is destroying the environment and exploiting billions of people who earn a measly and dangerous livelihood as its scavengers.

Neil Postman, in his book, Technopoly the Surrender of Culture to Technology, warned us that technology is the type of friend that shouldn't be trusted blindly.

In fact, most people believe that technology is a staunch friend. There are two reasons for this. First, technology is a friend. It makes life easier, cleaner, and longer. … Second, because of its lengthy, intimate, and inevitable relationship with culture, technology does not invite a close examination of its own consequences. It is the kind of friend that asks for trust and obedience, which most people are inclined to give because its gifts are truly bountiful. (xii)

See solution to number 2.

10. Political Correctness

How can we practice accountability to any degree if we are constantly afraid that we will offend someone?  How can we build relationships that are truly meaningful if we can't be completely honest with each other because we are afraid to hurt each other's feelings?  How can we expect our children to be accountable if we don't let them experience failure along with success?  Political correctness may have had sound beginnings but just like anything else in life, it not balanced, it becomes another way towards oppression.  See solution to number 2.